4 Self-Care Steps Women Can Take After A Divorce (For All Budgets!)

Divorce has many feelings wrapped up in it. A new divorcee may feel fear, grief, dread… and even relief. AARP reported on a study in 2004 about divorce that recorded 80% of respondents feeling positive or very positive about their outlook on life, but at the same time 45% of respondents reported a strong fear of being alone.

How do you reconcile these feelings? Counseling helps, and so does staying surrounded by loved ones. But women can also take some “vain” steps to enjoy themselves and bolster their confidence after a divorce. Of course, many American women can’t afford a lot of vanity purchases after a divorce, considering they may have a family to care for and just spent around $15,000-42,000 on the divorce process.

With that in mind, here are some splurges for self-care and some inexpensive alternatives.

Your Look

The Splurge: A salon visit or simple non-surgical cosmetic procedures are both mid-range expenses that can give you a fresh perspective on yourself. Non-surgical cosmetic procedures like lip fillers and injectable rhinoplasty are temporary and quick, which explains their 4.2% rise in popularity in 2017. Hair salons are coming up with all sorts of innovative cuts and colors that don’t damage your hair.

The Inexpensive: A simple box of hair dye can change up your look for less than $10. Contour kits and multi-use makeup are rising in quality even at drugstore prices, and tutorials are all over YouTube. Play with some highlighting powder or a new shade of lipstick!

Your Habitat

The Splurge: It’s sometimes difficult emotionally to stay in the same home you occupied with your spouse. Circumstances permitting, you can move to a new home, neighborhood, or city that feels entirely your own. Take it as slow as you want, using the internet to gather information in your free time. Considering around 92% of people now use the internet when house hunting, lots of great resources have popped up for single home buyers and renters.

The Inexpensive: Redecorate your space! Move furniture around. Reorganize. Set up a home office or exercise room. Get savvy and use reclaimed or thrifted materials. To repaint walls or furniture, you can look for a can of inexpensive “oops paint” at hardware stores in a color that speaks to you.

Your Lifestyle

The Splurge:A process like divorce often feels like it just eats up all the fun free time in your life. Need a night out? More than 40% of weekend limo service is for glitzy events like weddings, parties, and proms, but that doesn’t mean you should skip a limo ride out with friends to a simple event like drinks or a wine tour.

The Inexpensive:Hang out with friends, family, or even your kids and experiment making some simple mocktails. Feels classy, tastes delicious — and alcohol is optional.

Your Skillset

The Splurge: Pick up a college degree path. Even just a couple classes, a certificate, or an associate’s can give you a sense of purpose and pride while developing useful new skills and knowledge.

The Inexpensive: Dropping a bunch of money on college classes isn’t the only way to ignite your curiosity and fill your resume. You have two supremely powerful tools at your disposal: libraries and internet! Take up knitting, or pick a profitable skill that’s easy to teach yourself online.

Divorce isn’t the end of the world, and it shouldn’t be the end of your growth as a person. Whether you have a little extra to spend or need to live on a tight budget for a bit, set aside some time and resources to indulge in those “you” moments.